


The Secrets Within

by Bluerk9



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluerk9/pseuds/Bluerk9
Summary: This story centers around the life of Lily and Sebastian Castellanos after the events of the second game. Lily is haunted with nightmares of Stefano until she learns she has super powers, but she is told to keep them from everyone, including her dad. Sebastian is keeping Mobius a secret from Lily because it's what's best for the both of them. Will their secrets come out?
Kudos: 4





	1. Nightmares

"Come on! Just a picture!"

As many times as Lily tried to run and hide from this frightening, ten foot tall man who kept chasing her, he always seemed to catch up with her. Her little heart was pounding as she ran like her life depended on it. She didn't know where she was, nor did she know why this man was after her. All she knew was that she was running through a huge auditorium trying to find a place to hide before the man would emerge from behind the curtains on stage.

She couldn't go for the main entrance door since it was locked so she had to settle for hiding behind one of the seats. Once she hid behind one of the them in the far back, she heard his chilling voice once again over the orchestral music blaring through the auditorium.

"Hiding now, are we?" He said almost playfully as his large footsteps stomped through the rows of seats. "I'll find you soon enough."

He began searching through the front row seats first. Lily attempted to control her fast and heavy breathing by clasping her hand onto her mouth. She desperately wished her dad was there to protect her, hold her and tell her everything was alright, but she knew he was no where to be found. Still, a small part of her hoped he would appear just like in her last dream, but that didn't seem likely.

Lily could hear him muttering incomprehensible words as he continued to search for her. One of the only words she managed to catch on to was, "philistine." As she listened to the clacking of his rather large low heels approaching closer to where Lily was, her mind was in a frenzy trying to figure out what to do. She was so afraid, her body was almost immobile and practically glued to the spot she was in. 

Should she make a run for it? 

No, he'd only catch up with her. From what Lily was hearing, she could tell the man was getting closer to the back rows and it was only a matter of time before she was found. She had to do something, quick. 

While Lily glanced around for anything she could use as either a weapon or something to distract him with, the man was growing impatient. 

"Where are you, damn it?!" He shouted out of frustration.

Lily then heard a loud boom and a crash and she was too nervous to peek her head up and see what had happened. Just then, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was a shiny object sitting underneath one of the seats that she was close to. She leaned closer to inspect the object and it looked to be an empty bottle. She knew that what she was planning to do was bold and possibly dangerous, but it was only a matter of time before the man would find her if she just sat there and did nothing.

She attempted to control her shaking body as she reached for the bottle while trying to stay as quiet as possible. Once she grabbed a hold of it, she held it close to her with both of her hands fearing that she would drop it.  
Mustering up all the courage that she had, she willed herself to peek outward from behind the seats and she saw his giant form searching through the left row of seats in the middle, which was not too far from where she was. He was close, and Lily's heart was pounding rapidly in fear as to what she was about to do. 

She was bold enough to poke her head up once more and she saw that his back was facing her as he searched through the rows. She also noticed that the red front row seats on the right were completely scattered across the floor. She figured that's where that loud crash came from. She glanced down at the bottle readying herself. It was now or never.

She aimed for the row of seats that were on the right side of the auditorium. She moved her arm back far enough to where she'd be able to throw the bottle far. Lily took one more glance at the man to see him still searching for her with his back turned. She took a deep breath before counting in her head.

1.......

She had to be brave, just like her parents. She always aspired to be like them.

2.......

She could do this, she kept telling herself.

3!

And that's when she threw the bottle. It went farther than she had expected it to and it landed inbetween the middle rows of seats. Once the bottle made contact with the ground, it shattered into pieces, creating a loud enough sound to cause the man to jerk his head sideways. Once he located where the sound had come from, a smirk had crept up on his lips.

"I've got you now," he mutters as he strode towards the source of the sound.

Lily takes this opportunity to start backing up slowly. She was secretly hoping that there was another exit door she could escape from. She watched the man make his way towards where she threw the bottle. Once he was far enough away from her, she carefully took a few more steps back before turning her whole body around and heading the other direction, making sure to glance back just in case he would happen to see her.

When the man caught sight of the shattered bottle, he began to inspect it. He hummed as he eyed it suspiciously while bringing his thumb and index finger upon his chin and stroking it. He glanced around for anywhere she might be, but he didn't see her, at least not anywhere close to where he was standing.

And that's when he realized something.

He twisted his head backwards and that's when he caught her heading towards the emergency door in the far right corner.

"Clever girl," he spoke loud enough for her to hear. She froze in her place upon hearing his voice and slowly turns to see him staring directly at her. Streaks of blue surrounded him as he teleported towards her and now he was just a few feet away from her, "but, not clever enough to fool me."

Lily panicked and tumbled backwards, landing on her bottom. She then started scooting backwards, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. She kept moving backwards until her back was pressed up against the wall.

The man leaned foward, his large stature towering over her, and a sinister smirk played on his lips. His eyes looked completely bizzare, one of them had shone a bright blue and the iris practically looked like camera lens while the other had shone blue as well with dark blue rings surrounding the iris. The skin which surrounded his blue eye was red and cracked as if his flesh was burned.

Tears involuntarily fell down Lily's cheeks, her back leaning impossibly closer to the wall. Her chest was heaving as she breathed heavily and her heart was racing. The man took another step towards the frightened little girl.

"Now, hold still," he warned as his crimson colored gloved hand reached for her.

She quickly scrambled to her feet and took off running the other direction towards the exit door. She was already out of breath and her feet were beginning to ache from running so much, but she knew she was close to the door. Just a few more steps and-

Click

Her body froze.

This time, she wasn't frozen out of fear, but rather the man had captured her with his camera. She was stuck in place. Her right leg was still raised from sprinting and she was trapped in a running position. As much as she tried to move, she was still completely paralyzed. She could hear the man's footsteps approaching from behind and she desperately tried to move. When that didn't work, she attempted to scream, but her voice never escaped.

After a few seconds, she heard his chilling voice again.

"Lily......," he chanted, stomping closer to her.

"Lilyyy......."

"Lily, wake up!"

Lily's eyes shot open and she immediately sat up on her bed. Her frantic eyes scanned in all directions of her bedroom, her ears barely processing her father's voice until he lightly grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Lily, it's okay. I'm here," he spoke, trying to calm her down.

She glanced around a few more times before her sky blue eyes met his chocolate brown ones. His eyes were laced with worry as he watched her attempt to control her breathing. She was blinking rapidly, her cheeks were tear stained and new tears had already formed. Sebastian couldn't help but feel sorry for her in this state.

"It's okay," he repeated softly while caressing her hair, "You're safe." Sebastian had a feeling that she had a nightmare about Stefano or some other creatures in stem chasing her.

"There...there was a m...man," she attempted to speak, still in shock after the nightmare, "He....."

"Shhh....," he shushed her and pulled her close to him.

Lily buried her face into his chest while clutching onto his shirt. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Lily, one hand on her back while the other caressed her hair as she cried. She was still shaking and while her face was planted against him, her vision became dark. She thought of Him again and quickly moved her head to the side out of fear. 

A minute had passed before she spoke between sobs, "I thought you said there was nothing to be scared of anymore...."

Guilt washed over Sebastian and a frown formed on his face. He was silent, trying to think of anything to say to make her feel better.

Eventually he spoke again, "Lily,.....he can't get you now. He's not real and he can't hurt you."

"B...But, he seemed so real...," she stammered out inbetween hiccups.

"He's not, Lily. It's gonna be okay," he said softly.

Neither of them had said anything else as they held each other. Sebastian allowed her to cry as much as she needed to. Listening to her made his heart ache for her. His little girl was going through a lot over a span of one week after he got her back from Mobius. Not only was she dealing with nightmares, but she was also struggling through the heartache of losing her mother. 

Ever since Lily was brought back into his life, Sebastian has grown to be a bit more protective and watchful over her. When he heard Lily screaming from her bedroom upstairs not too long ago, he couldn't help but panic. So many thoughts and possibilities had rushed through his head as he rushed up the stairs while calling her name. He thought maybe somebody broke in, or maybe she got hurt, but he was slightly relieved to only find her in her bed.

Several minutes went by and Lily's sobs began to die down. 

"Dad?" 

"Hm?" 

She peeked her head up at him, her red puffy eyes staring up at him in wonder. "How are you so......brave all the time?"

"Well...." he thought about her question, "I can't say I'm brave all the time."

Her brows furrowed, "What do you mean? You're always brave."

"No," he shook his head. "Not always."

He then gently pulled back and placed his hands on her shoulders so he could fully look at her. 

"You're saying you get scared?" She asked almost in disbelief.

"Yeah," he admitted, "When I heard you screaming, I was scared that something had happened to you."

"Yeah, but.....you're always scared for others. You're never afraid of bad guys or monsters," she then looked away, feeling ashamed. "Why can't I be like that?"

"Lily," he started, "You're already brave and strong whether you believe it or not. Life hits you hard and it's alright to be scared at times." 

"But....."

He cups her cheek with his left hand urging her to look at him in which she did. "I know things are tough right now, but things will get better. I promise you. Just know that I'm here for you."

In the corner of his eye, Sebastian spots Lily's doll that Kidman had made for her which depicted Myra. It was lying on the floor right beside her bed. He reached to pick it up.

"And she'll be here for you too," he said softly as he placed the doll in her lap.

Lily picked up the doll and held it. She gazed at it, thinking about how her mother would always be there for her when she ever had a problem or whenever she was upset. Remembering her soft and gentle voice telling her that everything was going to be alright.

She frowned for a moment, thinking about her being gone, but as she kept staring at the doll, a small smile eventually reached her face. It wasn't a joyful smile. It was smile saying that she was grateful to have something that would serve as a reminder of her mother. It only lasted for a few seconds though before disappearing. She clutched the doll close to her before gazing back up at him.

"Besides," he lightly squeezed her shoulders reassuringly, "You're too young to be worrying about that." 

She nodded almost absentmindedly, both of them were silent for a moment before she spoke.

"Can you tell me some of your police stories?" She asked, her tears practically gone by now.

A smile reached the former detective's face, "Sure."

Lily retreated back under the covers and snuggled her doll in her arms, anticipating the story he was about to tell her. Before her time with Mobius, her dad would often tell her about certain cases he worked on. The cases he would tell her about were often mild and not bad enough to scare a child. Sebastian knew better than to do that.

"Is there any in particular you'd like to hear?"

"Hm....," she appeared deep in thought before replying, "Anything but another robbery story." She was starting to catch on to the amount of times he would tell her a different kind of theft story.

He grinned. "Aw, couldn't get you that time, huh?"

"Nope," she said, managing to smile back.

"Well, let's see," he thought carefully about what kind of story to tell her. He did have one in mind which was exciting enough to tell Lily, but he also didn't want to scare her. "There is this one case, but I'm not sure if-"

"You can tell me a different story, dad. It's okay," she reassured him.

"Hmmmmm," he thought about it, "Okay. This one involves someone trying to run away during questioning."

Lily eyed him skeptically. "Let me guess, you were questioning him because he was stealing?"

He chuckles, "No. I think he was a gang member from what I recall. But I remember we had him questioned for hurting a lot of people, so Joseph...and I were interrogating him."

He briefly paused once Joseph's name left his mouth. He and Kidman never finished the discussion about what happened to him and now since he was brought up again, Sebastian was even more curious. He'd have to ask Kidman about him later. Lily noticed him pause when saying his name.

"We haven't seen him in a while," she says, recalling seeing Joseph visiting their house in the past. She would often call him 'Uncle Jo.'

"Yeah, we haven't," he said, appearing to be lost in thought.

Lily took note of this and gave him a confused expression, "Are you two still friends?"

He nods. "Yeah, it's just we haven't seen each other much since I stopped being a detective."

Lily was often curious as to why her dad stopped working for the department since he was always so good at what he did. She never really got an exact answer about it. Now she figured was the time to ask.

"Dad, why aren't you a detective anymore?"

Upon hearing the question, Sebastian gazed down at his daughter and decided to tell her the truth. He was sick of lying to her.

"They fired me," he said truthfully.

"Why?" She furrowed her brows.

"Well....I started to mess up my assignments and they noticed I was getting sloppy."

"Why were you getting sloppy?"

"Well I......."

He wasn't sure what to say. He knew the real reason was because of not only losing her and Myra, but also the trauma from Stem. But he couldn't tell her that. He had to protect her feelings, but he also didn't want to lie to her more than he already had.

"Is it.......because of what happened.....to mom?" She spoke almost quietly with a frown forming on her face.

His lips started to falter as well, knowing that that was partially the reason.

"Yeah." 

They were quiet for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say to one another until Sebastian finally spoke again.

"But it's probably for the best. Plus, I get to spend more time with you," he says, a small reassuring grin reaching his bearded face.

"But don't you ever miss it? Being a detective?"

He took a moment to think about her question.

"At times, but I'm not too upset about it."

"I would be."

"Well after a while, you get over it. Especially now since I'm not as busy as I used to." 

Lily was quiet for a moment before asking, "Are you going to get a new job?"

"Of course. I'm thinking of getting an office job. Nothing too extreme."

"Hmmm, sounds boring."

"It's not much different than working in my office when I used to work for the KCPD."

"Hm, okay. Continue the story. I didn't mean to interrupt you," she urged him, curious as to how the story plays out.

"Right," he remembered what he had been talking about previous, "So, we were asking him questions regarding his crimes and he was a really big guy," he extended his arms to demonstrate, "Like he was way taller and muscular than me and Joseph combined."

Lily stared at him intently, eager to know more. 

"When Joseph and I left the room for a moment, we heard a loud bang coming from the interrogation room and that's when we saw the guy trying to escape, so we went after him-"

"How did he get out? Did he still have his handcuffs on?" She interrupted.

"Lily, you know it's rude to talk over someone."

"Oh, sorry," she apologized in realization, "I just really want to know."

He smiled warmly at her. "He did still have his cuffs on. Apparently he wasn't being watched and he managed to break the door down," he explained. "We were trying to catch up with him while he was making a break for the exit along with a few other people, but he kept pushing past everyone."

"That was until you caught him, right?"

Instead of answering her question, he continued. "He got close to the exit and I thought for sure he was gonna get out, but that's when I heard a gunshot. I turn around to see where it came from and...."

He paused briefly causing Lily to become even more anticipated as to what happens next.

"I saw that it was your mother. She had shot the guy in the leg and he fell down. We managed to catch him after that, but if she hadn't stopped him, he could have gotten away."

A small smile formed on Lily's face upon hearing about her mother's heroic action. "Mom was a great cop."

"Yeah. Way better than I ever was."

Whenever Lily would think of her mother, it almost didn't seem real to her that she was dead. A part of her felt like she was still alive and all of this was just another nightmare, but then she had to look at reality. She could never see her again. As much as she hated that, she knew it was the truth. The thought of her mom being gone made her upset, but it wasn't like she ever stopped missing her. Lily missed her everyday.

Sebastian noticed the gloomy expression on his daughter's face and was quick to feel guilty. 

"I didn't mean to make you upset, Lily. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I like hearing stories about mom. Could you tell me more?" She asked, hoping he would say yes. Knowing that her mother wasn't around anymore, she would take any opportunity to hear a story about her.

Relief washed over him knowing that he hadn't made her upset.

"Yeah," he replied as he thought up of more tales to tell her.

An hour went by as Sebastian told more police stories to Lily, more specifically, ones that involved Myra. By each passing minute, Lily didn't realize how drowsy she was getting. Eventually her eyes fluttered shut and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep with her doll cuddled close to her knowing that she was safe.

Sebastian couldn't help but adore her as she slept, but he also felt bad for her. There was so much that she has gone through and she couldn't seem to catch a break. He was surprised that she still had some innocence even after everything that's happened. She always tried to stay positive and appreciate what she had. She was a strong girl and Sebastian knew that she would achieve great things when she grew up.

After a short while, he leaned downward and planted a kiss on her forehead while giving a single stroke to her hair. He got up and pulled down the switch to the lamp that was sitting on the small table beside her bed. The room was dark now and the only form of light that illuminated the room was the moonlight.

Sebastian kept his footsteps as quiet as possible when he exited her room. He took one last glance at her sleeping form before gently closing the door. He returned to his own bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed. He had to admit that it felt lonely without Myra around. Looking back at all the times he has spent with her, he feels like he had took her for granted. He was always so caught up in his work that he never got to spend as much time as he would have prefered with her and Lily.

Well that was mainly his fault since he never chose to take an actual break from working and spend the quality time with his family. Why couldn't he just-

"The most important thing is that you forgive yourself."

He thought back to the inner pep talk he had with Myra. He had a fresh start now to be there for Lily whenever she needed him to be and he couldn't keep beating himself up over what happened. Myra wouldn't want him to do that. He had no control over his separation from his family or Mobius sabotaging his life. He was going to stay strong, especially for Lily. She has been going through a rough time lately and as much as it's been hard to lie to her, it's only what's best.

Sebastian could still remember the day he had to tell Lily the sad truth about her mom. Although, he couldn't tell her the truth about what really happened to her, he still had to let her know that she wouldn't be around and it definitely wasn't easy.

*Flashback*

Sebastian and Lily had just arrived at their new home in Pennsylvania. They were currently going back and forth gathering all their suitcases and bags from the SUV and into the house. The house consisted of 3 bedrooms, one of them being a spare room. 

He wouldn't have been able to afford the house if it weren't for Kidman lending him money that had come out of Mobius's pockets and he really appreciated it. She was going to use the money as well for herself in order to get a place to live and take a new step foward in life. 

Of course, he and Kidman still kept in contact with each other since Lily took a liking to her and they also didn't live too far either, so Kidman could come up and visit Lily when she was able.

Once everything was inside, they began unpacking. Everything seemed to be going well. Lily was ecstatic about living in a new house and she was joyful to be with her father again, but it was only a matter of time before that question that Sebastian was dreading to hear had come up.

"Where's mom? Is she going to meet us here?" She asked out of curiosity. She was beginning to notice that there was no mention of her mother, nor has she seen her.

He stopped unloading his bag upon hearing her question and that familiar bitter feeling in his chest tugged at him. He knew he had to tell her and although his back was facing her he had to look her in the eyes and tell her the truth face to face. 

"Lily...." her name left his mouth almost as if he was holding back something.

Lily was quick to catch onto this and judging by the tone in his voice there was something wrong.

He slowly turned to face her and as he made contact with her precious blue eyes, it made the task that much harder.

"Honey," he got down on one knee and knelt in front of her so they met eye to eye. He opened his mouth while trying to find the right words to say, but shut it beforing opening it again, "I...have some bad news about your mom."

And just like that, Lily's expression faltered. She had a uneasy feeling about what he had to say.

"Your mom......she's......"

Damn it, he thought. This was way more difficult than he had ever imagined. 

A small part of her knew what he was going to say, but Lily didn't want to believe it. The way he paused briefly, the way the tone of his voice changed so drastically, and the way he painfully looked at her felt way too familiar. It reminded her of how her mother told her that her dad was dead.

But that wasn't true.

She must have been having another nightmare. This couldn't be real. Yeah. That's it. It's just a dream. If only she could just wake up.

"She's......."

How did Myra do this? He pondered.

He shut his eyes painfully for a brief moment, not being able to bear the concerning look in his little girl's face.

He had to tell her.

She deserves to know.

"Your mom's not.....around anymore," he couldn't bring himself to say that she was dead. As soon as he finished that sentence, he opened his eyes and saw her shaking her head. Judging by her torn expression, she must have understood what he meant.

"No.....," she muttered repeatidly to herself while rapidly shaking her head, her short dark brown hair dangling as she did. "No, you're.....you're lying."

Her breaths grew quick and short and she was on the brink of tears. This couldn't be true. It just couldn't be.

"This is.....just.....just a dream. Mom told me...that you were dead and that wasn't true. This isn't real. It isn't-"

"Lily," he interjected. It was agonizing to see her like this. Her feelings were being swung all over the place, first thinking that her dad was dead and now her mom. She didn't deserve any of this, "This isn't a dream. It's real." He paused for a moment before saying almost in a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Tears began to fill Lily's eyes, but she wasn't fully convinced yet. 

"How did she die?" She tested him. She recalled that her mom never told her how her dad died.

His lips pressed into a hard line. He knew he couldn't tell her the real truth about the sacrifice Myra made. He knew had to protect her feelings, but he also hated to lie to his own daughter, especially about the death of her loved one.

Sebastian broke eye contact with her and stared at the floor as he contemplated what exactly he should say to her. Maybe he shouldn't say anything about how she died, but then she wouldn't believe him, yet, it's just as bad to lie to her as it would be to keep the truth.

Either way, he had to tell her something. He couldn't just leave her in the dark.

"She.......," she couldn't know the truth, could she? As much as Sebastian feared, he had to lie. This was only the right thing to do, he kept telling himself. 

"Yesterday, she......she.....," he sighed heavily, "She got.....into a car accident."

He knew it was bad excuse, but it was the simplest one he could come up with. Once he saw her broken expression, he regretted what he said even more.

A part of Lily was still trying to deny that her mom was really gone. Tears pricked at her eyes as she was still coming terms with what he just said. 

"No....she....she isn't... "

He placed his hands on both of her shoulders with a remorseful expression. 

"I'm sorry, Lily," he apologized not only for breaking the news to her, but for also lying. "I....I didn't want to tell you right away."

Tears leaked from her eyes and her body was slightly shaking. Her mother couldn't be dead. This had to be a dream, but was it really? The look on his face seemed too real to her and judging by the edge in his voice, she knew he was telling the truth.

Soon, more tears streamed down her cheeks and her lips were quivering. She started sobbing and Sebastian instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Lily was too distraught to hug him back. Her face was planted against his shoulder as she choked out more sobs. 

He allowed her to cry all the while muttering another, "I'm sorry," in her ear, his voice sounding shattered. A tear of his own had shed from his eye as he held her tightly, but not to the point where he would crush her.

Minutes flew by as Lily cried her heart out. Eventually her sobs turned into short hiccups and sniffles. Sebastian rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her as best as he could. He was afraid that he had just damaged her innocence by giving her the news, but he was bound to tell her at some point. 

It was a while before Lily's crying had subsided and she was left with sniffles and puffy red eyes. She pulled away from him, her expression dreary, as she stared at the floor.

"Is....is that why.....Kidman gave me that doll?" She asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment before nodding, "Yeah. She wanted you to have something that would remind you of her."

Her brows furrowed, "Why....didn't you tell me earlier?" 

He sighed before replying, "You were so....happy. I didn't want to ruin that for you."

She glanced up at him and she noticed that his eyes were red and swollen as well from his own tears. She didn't reply to him as she stood there staring at one of her bags which contained her mother's doll. She reached for the bag and unzipped it. She instantaneously found the doll's head poking out of her clothes. She pulled it out and held it out in front of her. 

She instantly got flashbacks of her mom by just simply looking at the face of the doll and her heart swelled with sadness as new tears formed in her eyes.

A pitiful frown formed on Sebastian's face as he watched Lily observe her doll in a sentimental way. Once he noticed her tears coming back, he reached down and placed his hand on her shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, knowing all too well that she wasn't really alright, but he couldn't help but ask the question anyway.

Lily didn't say anything. She continued to stare at her doll until she eventually pulled it close to her. A single rushing thought of her brought back Lily's tears and she was sobbing again. Without hesitation, Sebastian knelt down and pulled her into a warm embrace whilst trying to support her as much as he could.

*End of flashback*

Ever since then, the atmosphere had changed around them. He remembered Lily used to be so cheerful and carefree. Although she still shows some of her joyfulness, Sebastian could see the pain through her eyes. He would do anything in his power to keep her truly happy and if she needed more time to grieve, he'd give her that.

This past week he has spent with Lily felt strange and almost empty without Myra. He missed her dearly, but he would have to adjust to this new life with Lily without her around. He would ensure that he'd keep his promise about never letting Lily forget how much Myra really loved her. Despite the thought of Myra on his mind, there was also something else nagging at him.

No, not something. Someone.

Joseph.

He and Kidman never discussed what actually happened to him. He should have asked her about him before he left with Lily. Regardless, that single sentence still echoes in his head.

"Joseph isn't dead."

He needed to find out what happened to Joseph and where he actually was. Were he and Kidman in contact with each other? Did Mobius hold him captive for more experiments? Was he actually shot? He needed answers. He briefly thought of calling Kidman, but he checked the time and realized it was 2 o'clock in the morning. He'd have to call her later.

With this mystery on his mind, Sebastian didn't go back to sleep right away. Regardless of having his daughter back, the maximum amount of hours he has managed to sleep over the past several days was about four. 

Throughout the week, he has been adjusting to the idea of his daughter really being alive. He spent those past three years mourning her, and to have her alive and well right in front of him was mind-boggling. He would frequently wake up in the middle of the night due to nightmares about Lily being taken away by some unknown force and he'd often have to check and make sure she was safe and sound in her room. It was only recently that these nightmares began to simmer down.

He yawned tiredly and stretched his arms before he positioned himself back underneath the covers. As he laid his head against the pillow, his mind was still clouded with concern for Lily. Maybe he could plan something for her or take her somewhere fun just to distract her from all the shit she's been through lately. Besides, she deserved to have fun and be a normal kid, not to be kidnapped by some secret organization for experiments. 

He'd have to plan something, but in the meantime he needed rest. This was probably the first night he wasn't plagued with nightmares over and over again. He briefly lie awake drowning in his thoughts before his eyes fluttered shut and he drifted off to sleep before he even realized it.


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian is shocked to see Joseph standing on his front door step alive and well. Meanwhile, Lily starts to sense a prescence in her head that the others don't seem to notice which makes her feel like she may not be alone.

"Kidman," Sebastian's groggy voice spoke through the phone. 

He woke up no less than ten minutes ago and it was about 8:30 in the morning when he decided to call her. The thought of Joseph was nagging at him and he needed Kidman to provide him answers. Normally, Kidman would still be asleep at this hour since she was never much of a morning person, but luckily she was awake and answered the phone rather quickly when Sebastian called.

"Sebastian?" She answered. "What's going on?"

Sebastian lightly scratched his beard while holding the phone in his other hand before replying, "We never finished our conversation about Joseph."

There was a brief pause on her end. 

"Right," she sighed. "Listen.....it's a bit of a long story. We've still kept in contact in case you two ever wanted to meet each other again."

"Wait, you know where he is?" 

"Yeah. Look, it would be easier if you two talked things through. I can see if I can have him over at your house."

His brows raised upon hearing this, "Wait, really? When? Today?"

"Possibly. Trust me, he wants to reunite with you too. I'll check with him. Don't worry, Sebastian, I'll make sure you guys see each other soon."

He fell silent for a moment, his mind creating a possible scenario where he would be seeing Joseph again, before replying, "Is it that much of a long story that you can't just tell me over the phone?"

"Well, I'll give you a piece of it. Mobius found out that Joseph was still alive and since he was a risk factor, they held onto him for experiments for their future stem projects. Basically, he got the short end of the stick."

Sebastian couldn't help but feel guilty. He still blamed himself for what happened to him. He would always regret not getting to him in time and not being able to help him when he was shot. Now knowing the fact that he wasn't dead and that he was left behind to be Mobius's puppet made him feel worse about it.

"It's alright, Sebastian," Kidman says, sensing his guilt through his brief silence. "He's okay now. I'll speak with him and make sure you two meet. He and I don't live too far from each other, so it shouldn't be much of a problem. I know you have a lot of questions, but you'll get your answers soon enough. Just hang tight and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Alright?"

Sebastian was hesitant at first. He disliked the idea of waiting for answers; however, Kidman was the only person who knew where Joseph was, so he would have to deal with it for now.

"Fine," he replied after letting out a defeated sigh. "But I better hear back from you soon."

He spoke in his usual demeanor, reminding Kidman of when he used to be a detective.

They bid their farewells over the phone and Sebastian was left even more confused. Her and Joseph weren't too far from each other? Did that mean he was close to where Sebastian was? Where exactly was he?

It was crazy to think that his long-time partner was alive and that he could be at his front door step no less than a couple hours. What should he expect? Would he be distraught about all those years with Mobius like he was? He didn't know. All he knew was that he needed to be prepared to see Joseph again.

*******************◇*******************

Lily had woken up that morning a bit later than usual. It was around ten in the morning and even though she had just gotten up, she was still feeling drowsy. After her dad helped her go to sleep, she didn't have anymore nightmares that night.

She knew it was silly to be afraid of some imaginary boogeyman that didn't exist, but she couldn't help it. She also hated the fact that her dad had to keep checking on her and help her fall asleep almost every night. Her screaming in the middle of the night had to have been a burden to him. 

As she tiredly stared at the ceiling, her head still laid on her pillow, she pondered how she could stop having these nightmares. She would try to tough it out while attempting to be like her dad when it came to a dangerous situation, but she could never stand her ground. She would just run away every time. Tears out of frustration threatened to spill through her eyes. 

No, she wouldn't cry.

A determined look reached her face. She was going to pull through and tough out these nightmares. She seemed to figure out that every time she was calm and collected before she slept, she wouldn't encounter Him. So that's what she would do. Tonight, she would try her very best to keep her mind off of that man and hopefully not have to wake her dad again.

She let out a quiet yawn and stretched her petite arms before noticing she still had her doll cuddled onto her. She held onto it as she hopped out of bed and wiped a strand of drool off the corner of her lip that had formed while she was sleeping. 

She rubbed her eyes lazily as she opened the door and made her way downstairs towards the kitchen where she caught sight of her dad preparing himself coffee. As Lily gazed at him, she couldn't help but notice how he appeared to be a little anxious as if he were expecting something or someone. She made her way up to him, eager to know what he was up to. Once he caught sight of her standing next to him, peering over the counter, his expression changed to a more softer one.

"Good morning, Lily," he greeted her with a warm smile. "How'd you sleep?"

She simply shrugged, "Alright."

Sebastian frowned, knowing all too well of her frequent nightmares. He decided to change the subject, not wanting to remind her of them.

"Joseph is going to be coming by some time soon, so I'm gonna need you to brush that knot out of your head," he said while reaching out his hand and rummaging her messy hair. 

Upon realizing there was a huge knot in the corner of her hair, she reaches her fingers in and attempts to break it apart. Sebastian chuckles at her focused expression. Her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she attempted to complete her task. She would always do that when she was focused on something and he found it cute. 

"Kidman is going to be here too," he stated. 

She stopped what she was doing upon hearing this and her eyes lit up. He thought it would be ideal to have her over as well so Lily wouldn't get bored. Plus, he and Joseph needed a one-on-one discussion.

"She is?" The most genuine smile that she has had in a while formed on her face.

He nods, returning her grin. 

"Yeah, so I'm gonna need you to at least look....presentable," he chuckles once more all the while stroking her bedhead.

She nods enthusiastically, knowing that she was going to be seeing Kidman again after a whole week. She excitedly sprinted back to her room to get herself ready. Once she had brushed her hair and changed her clothes, she made her way back to the kitchen to make herself some cereal.

Her dad was sitting hunched over on the couch not too far from where she was with a warm coffee mug cradled in his hands. He appeared to be lost in thought and not processing the fact that his daughter had just entered the kitchen. Lily couldn't help but think that he was troubled about something.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she pulled out a bowl from one of the cabinets. 

His eyes shot over to her direction only to find her looking at him concerned. He put on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and replied, "Nothing. Just thinking."

Lily suspected that he was bothered by the idea of Joseph coming by, but she couldn't figure out why. She remembered they would always get along well, but now it was like he was anxious to see him.

But why?

"Are you sure you and Joseph didn't get into a fight or something?" She asked as she poured her cereal into the bowl.

Sebastian sighed. She was always good at catching him on his emotions. That was the detective in her. 

"We didn't necessarily get into a fight," he explained, wanting to be at least a little honest with her. "We've just been distant for a while."

She didn't say anything as she got done making her cereal and made her way over to the couch. Normally he would urge her to eat at the table, but he had too much on his mind at the moment to even worry about that. 

"What happened?" She asked, making herself comfortable.

He thought back to all the times where he would get on Joseph for reporting him to Internal Affairs, but he was only trying to look out for him. Sebastian was being reckless at the time and if Joseph hadn't done that, he could have lost his job. Regardless of him being a complete mess at the time, the two still had a strong partnership. He never got the chance to make amends about that.

And now since he and Joseph were going to meet again, he wasn't sure what to expect. 

"A while back, I.....was in a rough place," his tone turned bitter as he clearly remembered all the pain and heartache he was going through at the time. "And I would always be hard on him even though he was always there for me."

Lily was listening intently and nearly forgetting about the fruity pebbles sitting in her bowl. 

He sighs knowing that he was telling her a bit more than what he had planned, but she was curious as to what was wrong with him, and he felt the need to vent at least a little bit.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is.....we didn't end on good terms."

Judging by his tense posture, she could tell this was something serious. He didn't seem to want to go further into how the two cut ties, although, it was weird considering that the two hit it off pretty well.

"Well I'm sure he's not upset with you," she says in an attempt to console him. She hated to see her dad in a sorrow mood. "Whatever you were going through at the time, I think he'll understand."

She always interpreted Joseph as a gentle and kind guy and she couldn't visualize him holding a grudge against Sebastian.

He thought about what she said. Sebastian didn't really mean to leave him behind and once he left stem for the first time, everyone kept trying to convince him that he was delusional. He was too busy trying to wrap his head around the whole stem experience that he never thought to look for Joseph. 

At the same time, however, Joseph didn't know what kind of world he was in either. He probably had no choice at the time since he was held captive by Mobius, so maybe things wouldn't be as tense as he predicted. Still this was something Lily didn't understand and it made him feel bad that he had to hide details from her, but it was for her own good.

He turned towards her and he managed to work up a smile. 

"I guess you're right, Lily. Thanks," he said with sincerity in his eyes.

Lily gave him a warm smile in return, having high hopes that he and Joseph would be friends again. 

*******************◇*******************

"Are you ready?" Kidman asks once she pulls into Sebastian's driveway.

She turns towards the passenger's side and sees Joseph adjusting his glasses. He was wearing a long black trench coat with his signature black gloves. His hair was slicked back the way it usually was and he had also grown a beard similar to Sebastian's. 

"As ready as I'll ever be," his gentle voice chirped out. 

Although he sounded eager, Joseph wasn't sure what to expect from Sebastian. Most likely he would be happy to see Joseph after everything he had been through. Kidman had told him about Sebastian getting his daughter back and how she faked his death in order to save him from being captured by Mobius.

During those three years, Joseph was of course skeptical about Kidman at first since he had found out that she was working for a criminal organization, but throughout the years, she looked out for him and took care of him while he was in the hands of Mobius. This along with her informing him about The Plan made him develop a sense of respect for her overtime.

He could even go as far as to say he trusted her.

"Okay," she said before exhaling. "Let's go."

They got out of the car and made their way up to the house. Seeing Sebastian's new house reminded Joseph of his older one when times were much simpler. He could still remember coming over for barbeques and sharing a drink or two with his partner, but things have changed drastically since then. 

Both of them have gone through hell and confronted darker parts of themselves. While Sebastian had overcome his inner demons, Joseph was still trying to cope with his. Stem was a surreal and unsettling experience for him and although he was out now, there were still parts of that place that were embedded in his mind.

But he'd have to shake that off for now. He was here to reunite with his long-time partner after three years of isolation. Besides, they had a lot of catching up to do.

*******************◇********************

There was a knock at the door. 

Both Sebastian and Lily were quick to perk their heads in sync toward the door. They instantly knew who was there. Lily turned to look at her dad and sees him visibly tense up. She instinctively rested her small hand on his to comfort him.

"It'll be okay," she said softly while giving him her sweetest smile. 

It made Sebastian's heart melt knowing how considerate she was. He smiled warmly at her, feeling a little more at ease through her contact with him. 

"Thank you, sweetheart." 

As he got up, Lily was determined to keep supporting him by continuing to hold his hand. He quietly chuckled at this knowing that she was trying to do everything in her power to make him feel more at ease and he appreciated that. As they got closer to the door, his heart began to beat faster in anticipation. Would the same man he once knew be behind that door?

Once they reached the door, Sebastian came to a halt. What was he waiting for? A moment ago, he was pressing for answers about Joseph whereabouts, but now he was hesitant to face him. He wanted to look through the peephole just to be sure that it was Joseph and Kidman on the otherside and once he did, sure enough he found Kidman standing next to a man he could only guess was his partner.

Sebastian had to blink rapidly to test if he was just seeing things, but his eyes were absolutely sure that they were seeing Joseph through the peephole. By instinct, Sebastian was quick to open the door and that's when he got a full view of him. He almost didn't recognize him at first because he wasn't used to seeing a beard on his face, but once he knew it was him, he was at a loss for words. 

He was searching for the right words to say. He had so many questions and they were all building up in his mind to the point where he wasn't able to form an actual sentence. The only thing he could say coherently was his name.

"Joseph..." he mutters out, releasing a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"Hello, Sebastian, it's been a long time," he states with a growing smile on his face.

Sebastian was silent for a moment all the while continuing to take in the fact that his long-time partner and friend, who he believed was dead for so long, was standing right in front of him. Lily and Kidman watched the two anticipatedly, waiting for any sort of reaction to one another. The silence felt longer than what it actually was and it was only a few seconds before an openly mouthed grin reached the former detective's face.

"You're damn right it has," Sebastian says with a feeling of joy and relief that Joseph was really alive.

Without a second thought, Sebastian let go of Lily's hand and he made his way over to Joseph before pulling him in for a hug. Joseph was quick to return the gesture and they both shared a heartfelt embrace. 

Kidman was glad to see the two reconnecting again, but Lily was rather confused by their exchange considering that her dad was anxious about seeing Joseph. Yet again, she didn't know exactly what the problem between them was, so maybe this made sense in a way that she didn't understand.

"I almost didn't recognize you," Joseph says with a small laugh before pulling away.

"I could say the same."

As the two exchanged mini convos with each other, Kidman grabbed Lily's attention by waving and saying hello to her. Lily smiled brightly at her before waving back.

"Let's go inside," Sebastian suggested while patting Joseph on the shoulder. 

As the four of them made their way inside the house, Kidman drew Lily's attention away from Sebastian and Joseph, who were headed towards the kitchen table by guiding her to the living room.

"So, how have you been?" Kidman asked her, knowing that she hasn't been having the best time lately.

"Well...not too good," she admits. She was a bit more honest with Kidman than she was with her dad. Besides she was tired of holding her frustrations in. "I've been having bad dreams and I keep waking dad up late at night." She huffs in disappointment while staring down at the ground. "He's probably tired of me doing that."

Kidman frowned and she couldn't help but feel pity for the little girl.

"Lily," she knelt down to her eye level, "You're going through a rough time right now and it's your dad's job to come help you when he needs to. Believe me when I tell you that he is not annoyed with you."

Kidman places a hand on Lily's shoulder which made the young girl look up at her older friend, her bright blue eyes meeting her violet ones. 

"How would you know that?" Lily asks.

"Because he loves and cares about you a lot, Lily. I'm sure if you have any problems, he'll be right there to help you. He understands more than you know, so don't be so hard on yourself, okay?"

Lily went into deep thought about what she said. In a sense, she sort of believed in what Kidman was telling her, but there was always something nagging her in the back of her mind that she was secretly bothering him. Maybe that was based on her own insecurity about not being able to live up to his standard. 

Feeling a little better after listening to Kidman's pep talk, Lily manages to work up a smile and nods in understanding. 

"Alright," she says with the slightest bit of enthusiasm, although, she was still secretly feeling reluctant.

"Atta girl. You'll get through it," she lightly pats her on the shoulder before standing back up to her normal height. 

It was only now that Lily noticed that Kidman was holding a black leather handbag. She began rummaging through the bag until she found the items she was looking for. She pulled out a movie DVD case and a microwavable bag of popcorn.

"So, I got us a movie to watch. It's called Frozen. Have you ever seen it?"

"No," she replied, never hearing of the movie before.

"Alright, well I'll make us some popcorn and we'll get to watching it," she says.

As Kidman prepared the popcorn, Lily caught a glimpse of Sebastian and Joseph at the table. The two appeared to be in a deep conversation and whatever they were talking about must have been serious.

"Are those two getting along okay?" Lily raised the question to Kidman out of curiosity.

"They're just working out some issues at the moment."

"What kind of issues?" She asks Kidman, figuring that she would know about what the problem was since her dad didn't want to tell her about it.

"They.....got into a fight a while back, but they're working things out."

"Right."

Lily grew confused at the last word she said. It almost sounded sarcastic. Kidman noticed her confused expression and she wasn't sure if she had said the wrong thing or if Sebastian had told her something different. 

Beep beep beep!

The sound of the microwave interrupted their exchange and Kidman was quick to attend to it. The aroma of buttery popcorn had filled the room as the bag began to deflate. She carefully grabbed the safe end of the bag and pulled it out of the microwave. Lily watched her intently, deciding to brush off their previous conversation. Perhaps she might have misheard her.

Meanwhile, Sebastian was sitting across from Joseph at the kitchen table, both of them holding cups of coffee in their hands. Sebastian was eager to know what he has been doing all this time and Joseph wasn't sure where to begin.

"So....Kidman tells me that you were being held by Mobius."

"Yeah..." he says, recollecting those past events. "Let me start from the beginning. So when they found out that I was alive, I faintly remember these two Mobius agents carrying me into this dark lit room, although, things were hazy. They must have injected me with something because when I woke up, I was strapped in a chair and the first thing I see is a tall man standing in front of me wearing a suit."

Sebastian could only assume that the man he was referring to was The Administrator.

"I figured that he was the one who was running the whole stem operation," Joseph continues all the while taking a sip of his coffee. "He went on to inform me that the world that you and I had been in wasn't real and since I was found to be alive, I became a liability to them. He also told me....that you had been killed."

Joseph shifted uncomfortably in his chair from the thought of it.

"I believed it at first. We all did, but much later I found out otherwise. I'll get to that in a moment. So, the good news was that they didn't kill me like I thought they would. The bad news, however, was that I was going to be held onto for their future stem projects as a way to keep me from saying anything about them. It was like I was their prisoner." He spoke bitterly.

Sebastian frowned at the thought of Joseph constantly having to go through the hellhole called stem, especially after witnessing how the environment of Ruvik's mind took a toll on him and how much he struggled to cope with it.

"You mean to tell me that they put you through that shit for three whole years?" He spoke with disbelief.

"Well not exactly that long. They did put me through different experiments....," he paused briefly, thinking about all the times he had needles stuck in him and how much he had blacked out. 

Sebastian could only imagine what he had been through judging from his own previous experiences in stem. It angered him that Joseph was treated like some kind of toy by that twisted organization.

"I felt like I was going crazy through all of it," he sighs heavily. "I didn't know if I could take anymore."

Joseph's tone came off as uneasy to Sebastian which made him loathe the organization even more than he already did. He was surprised that he cleaned up well even after everything he went through. 

"The experiments lasted for about a year until....I was finally free from it and I have Kidman to thank for that."

Sebastian could spot a hidden grin forming on his partner's face.

"While I was hooked to stem, she would always speak to me through a communicator in order to guide me through the world I was in. At first, I didn't trust her after I found out that she had been working for Mobius and I thought she was just as cold as the rest of them, but....I was wrong about her."

His vulnerable tone shifted to a much lighter one once Kidman came to mind. 

"She managed to cut a deal with Mobius in order to keep me from being involved with any other experiments. Since Mobius was so uptight about me spilling their secrets, Kidman offered to have me stay at her place as a way to keep watch of me. Normally I'd be reluctant, but anything was better than being plugged into that....nightmare of a machine."

Just the thought of stem made his mood spiral downward. Flashbacks went through his mind of how the environment of stem was constantly playing tricks on him and how he was pushed to the edge. He attempts to keep his composure as he runs his fingers through his dark hair while his lips were pressed into a hard line. Sebastian could tell he was clearly agitated and he didn't want to remind him of any past memories. Lord knows he had his fair share of them.

"You okay?" Sebastian asked with concern for his partner's well-being.

"Yeah," he replies, his voice sounding a little uneasy. Eventually, he manages to take a deep breath and regain his composure. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Sebastian of course didn't believe him, but he didn't push it. Joseph seemed like he had been through enough trauma and it made Sebastian feel bad for him.

"Anyways," he clears his throat, "for the rest of the time, I stayed at her apartment up until now. We've gotten to know each other pretty well and I've realized that Kidman turned out to be a better person than I thought she was. When she informed me about The Plan, I thought that her role in it was insane. I thought she was out to get herself killed and I'm still amazed that she even survived."

Sebastian caught a glimpse of Kidman sitting down on the couch with Lily. The two seemed to be interested in the animated movie all the while munching on popcorn.

"I always knew she had a rebellious side to her," Sebastian noted. 

"Yeah...she definitely does," Joseph followed Sebastian's gaze towards Kidman and gave her a look of admiration.

While Joseph was still staying with Kidman, there was one time that they had both opened up to each other. Kidman had revealed her past of being neglected by her parents and eventually running away from home. She expressed how her involvement in The Plan was a way to redeem herself not only from her criminal past, but for her involvement with Mobius. 

Joseph had also opened up about his struggles to cope after experiencing such a deep and darker side of himself in stem. It felt good for him to have someone to talk to and he was grateful for what all Kidman had done for him. He often wondered how she could hide her true self despite what she has done.

"Joseph?" Sebastian attempts to get his attention.

Joseph slightly jumped upon hearing his name and he quickly turned towards Sebastian's direction. He blinked rapidly feeling slightly embarrassed that he had been caught staring at Kidman.

"You still there, buddy?" He asks with a growing smirk on his face.

"Uh, yeah," he answers, his face turned a bright pink.

It didn't take Sebastian very long to catch onto what was going on. He knew all too well of the look that Joseph had been giving Kidman and he always had a gut feeling that he had a thing for her. Joseph caught sight of his long-time friend giving him an all knowing grin and his face began to heat up even more.

"What?" Joseph says feeling flustered all the while scratching the back of his neck. "It's....it's not like that."

"Of course it's not," he teased him all the while attempting to lighten the mood.

"Really, it's isn't. We're just friends," Joseph states with confidence.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it," Sebastian says not sounding the slightest bit convinced. 

"Anyways," Joseph says, wanting to change the subject, "I'm just glad The Plan worked out, although....Myra had to sacrifice herself. I'm sorry about her by the way."

Sebastian's lighthearted expression quickly faltered. He wished that she didn't have to die in order to save Lily, but there was no other choice. He'd never forget what she had done for both him and Lily even if he wanted to.

"She....she shouldn't have died the way she did," Sebastian spoke with a pained expression.

Regardless of how much Joseph has went through, he couldn't help but think that his partner had it ten times worse. He often wondered how Sebastian could even at least try to keep himself together or let alone keep working when he lost both his daughter and his wife. And now he has went into stem to save them both only to lose his wife yet again.

"Myra was a great detective and friend. It's a shame," Joseph spoke with utmost certainty. While he was with Mobius, he didn't really get the chance to speak with Myra again. He only managed to get a glimpse of her with Lily from time to time. "How's Lily been doing?" He asked when the thought of her crossed his mind.

Sebastian's mood didn't change upon hearing his question.

"She's....been having a rough time....," he spoke, his voice sounding softer and more sensitive. "Not only did I have to break the news to her about her mom, but she's also been having nightmares about her experience in stem." He sighs. "There was this lunatic who kept hunting her down for her power. Almost every night she's been having bad dreams of him chasing her."

Joseph's brows furrowed in pity for the young girl. He saw Sebastian eyes shift over to where Lily was and Joseph's gaze soon followed. At first glance, you wouldn't suspect that she was going through the things she was because of her seemingly bright mood, but deep down Sebastian knew she was hurting.

"Does she know that she was in stem or....?"

"No," Sebastian shook his head. "She thinks it was all a dream. I hate to keep the truth from her, but I guess it's for the best."

Joseph nods in understanding. "Yeah. Imagine telling your own kid that they were abducted by some secret organization and used for experiments. Believe me, you're doing the right thing by not telling her."

"Yeah, but....I hate having to lie to my own daughter....especially about her mother's death," Sebastian says, feeling regretful about excusing Myra's death with some pathetic lie.

"Would you rather her spend the rest of her childhood, let alone her whole life, knowing that she was used for experiments by some twisted organization for their own personal benefit?" Joseph explains. "How about her knowing that we all thought she was dead for a time? As much as it's dishonest, keeping the truth from her is probably the best thing you could do for her now. Besides, what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

Sebastian thought about it. He was always so conflicted about whether he should even attempt to tell Lily the whole truth when she gets older, but then what good would that do? Sure she deserved to know the truth, but it would only do more harm than good and it could possibly put a strain on their relationship. He wanted her to live a good life and not have to go through all the pain and heartache like he has. That was precisely the reason he even went into stem again willingly to ensure that she wouldn't have to suffer like he did. Telling her the truth would go against everything he fought for.

"You're right, Joseph," he releases a heavy sigh. "I just....I just hate to see her struggle like this."

"I know, but Lily's a sweet girl. I'd like to say that she tries to see the positive side of everything," Joseph says. He has often noticed how Lily would tough through a problem throughout all the years he has known her.

"She's a strong girl, but she doesn't seem to realize that yet."

Sebastian continued to watch his daughter as she giggled at something from the movie while munching on popcorn. He eventually shifted his attention back over to Joseph and the two spent the next hour chatting about what had been going on in their lives at the moment, including Sebastian searching for a new job. Joseph offered a possible job at a company that he had currently been working for. Sebastian would consider it.

As hours went by, Lily and Kidman had finished the movie and Joseph had wrapped up his conversation with Sebastian.

"As much as I'd like to stay, we have to get going," Joseph announced. 

"Alright. It was great seeing you," Sebastian says with a wholehearted smile feeling relieved that he and Joseph could actually start hanging out again like the old days. 

"Likewise, and I hope we can talk again some time soon." 

While the two bid their farewells, Lily was bummed to be informed that Kidman had to leave.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Lily begs Kidman, giving her best puppy eyes. 

"No, I'm sorry. I promise I'll come back soon though," she says with a reassuring smile.

Lily frowned at the thought of possibly not seeing her friend for a while.

"Pinky promise?" Lily stuck out her pinky.

"Pinky promise," Kidman repeated and intertwined her pinky with Lily's. 

As Kidman and Joseph made their way to the door, Lily and Sebastian made sure to say their goodbyes.

"It's was great to have you here, man," Sebastian said while pulling him in for another hug. After they pulled away, Sebastian turned to Kidman. "Thank you for bringing him over."

"It's not a problem and I'm glad you two could talk things through."

"Are you two friends again?" Lily stepped into the conversation.

Sebastian and Joseph both glanced at each other before nodding with smiles on their faces. 

"Yeah, we are," Sebastian says with a low chuckle.

Lily's lips quirk up into a cheerful smile feeling glad things had worked out for the two of them. 

"Well I'll make sure to talk to you again soon. I'll see you later, Sebastian," Joseph says before turning to Lily. "It was good seeing you too, Lily."

She grins. "You too, Joseph."

"Joseph? What happened to Uncle Jo?" He asked.

"Oh," she says, realizing her mistake, "I didn't know if you still wanted to be called that," she places her hands behind her back.

He lightly laughs, "It's fine. Don't worry."

It felt kind of surreal to him that he was speaking with Sebastian's daughter again after all the years thinking she was gone, even if it was just a small exchange.

"Well, we'd better get going," Kidman says while putting on her leather jacket. 

"Yeah, I'll see you later Seb," he says once Kidman had opened the door and gave a small wave to Lily.

"Take care, Joseph," Sebastian said before they went out the door. 

He and Lily watched the two from the living room window as they talked for a little bit before getting into the car and eventually leaving. After a short silence, he hears a small huff beside him.

"I miss Kidman," Lily says feeling bummed.

"You like her a lot, huh?" He gazed down at her.

She nods.

"Well I'll make sure to have her over more often when she's able."

"I wish she could come over every day," she extends her arms out in exagerration.

"You know she can't do that. She probably has things going on in her life."

Deep down Lily knew that was true, but Kidman was the only friend she had outside from her dad at the moment and it felt kind of lonely at times without another female figure to talk to in the home. Hopefully she wouldn't have to wait as long for her to come over to the house again although she was bound to get impatient, but she'd have to deal with it for now.

As for Sebastian, he knew that Kidman had a positive impact on his daughter judging by the way her face would brighten up when Kidman was even mentioned. It reminded him of how carefree she used to be before everything that has happened. He'd make sure to have Kidman over more often.

As the day passed, the sky began to grow darker which was what Lily was dreading. She was able to feel so calm when it was bright outside and thought she could stay that way through the entire day like that, but once it began to get dark, all that confidence was thrown out the window.

And now Lily was lying in her bed tucked into the blankets. It was midnight and she hadn't slept a wink. She was too nervous to even close her eyes because everytime she did, the image of that man would emerge. 

She also had to turn her light on since she has become afraid of the dark. It made her feel paranoid when she wasn't able to see much in her room which made her think that He could be hiding anywhere and waiting for the right moment to pop out of no where and snatch her. She also made sure to keep her arms and feet tucked inside the blanket regardless of it becoming hot underneath them.

Feeling too afraid to move, she stayed still lying on her back while trying to hide herself in the blanket as if that would prove as some sort of shield from any possible danger. She attempts to force her eyes shut once more knowing that she had to get some sleep, but she wasn't sure if she was going crazy, or if she kept feeling a constant presence over her, however, when she opened her eyes, there was nobody there.

She groaned out of frustration. She was starting to get cranky and a little upset from the fact that she couldn't just go to sleep peacefully. Her fear of the Boogieman mixed with her grief from her mother's death was building up on her and she eventually gave up on trying to go to sleep as tears pricked at her eyes. Lily clutched her doll close to her as she started to cry silently, pouring all of her emotions out. She missed her mother terribly and she wished things could just go back to the way they were before the car crash and before this terrifying man began to show up in her dreams.

But as much as she wished, she knew she couldn't bring her mom back. She knew things couldn't be the same as they once were. This thought only made her heart clentch and cause her to unleash more tears. She attempts to control her shaking body by holding onto her doll as if it was a lifeline. She wanted, no, needed support and she was tired of keeping everything to herself.

The only person she could be consoled by was her dad and he was probably trying to sleep. She hated to have to keep waking him up, but she tried to keep Kidman's words in mind.

"It's your dad's job to help you."

She thought carefully about her words before deciding to get out of bed and to wipe away her tears. She sniffled as she made her way to her door and once she opened it, she was greeted by darkness with only the light from her lamp providing her a faint view of the hallway in front of her which led to the stairs. She had forgotten that the lights were off around the rest of the house. 

She took a deep breath before cautiously taking a step out of her room. She searched for a light switch as she anxiously looked around the area for anyone or anything that could be potentially awaiting to chase her. Any little object that would have looked to be normal during the day looked completely different when it was shrouded in darkness. After finally reaching the tip of the stairs, she finds a light switch and flips it upward. The change of view of the stairs gave her a sense of confidence as she made her way down them.

It wasn't too long before she reached her dad's bedroom door which was opened ajar and she could faintly see him sleeping soundly. Lily tried to stay as quiet as possible as she slowly opened his door a bit more to get in, but much to her dismay, the door made a creaking noise which caused her to mentally cringe.

Wait, why was she trying to stay quiet if she was there to wake him up?

Maybe this was a bad idea, she kept thinking to herself as she poked her head through the door and watched him sleep. She swore to herself earlier on that she would tough through this whole nightmare thing, but she couldn't help but be shaken up. Yet again, the Boogieman wasn't even real so why was she still stressing over this whole thing?

Lily nearly turned around to leave until she heard him shift lightly in bed and she saw him sit up, his eyes squinted and his dark hair disheveled. He rubbed his eyes in order to adjust his eyesight before making out the short silhouette at his door.

"Lily?" He says in a tired voice. He reaches for the lamp beside his bed and turns it on. He could now make out her face and it looked red and puffy as if she had been crying. "What's wrong?"

There was a moment of silence on her end before she spoke softly. 

"I...I can't go to sleep....," she said through sniffles sounding as quiet as a mouse.

"Come here," he commands, not able to hear her from where she was.

She walks over to him with her eyes staring at the floor. She stops once she is standing in front of him.

"You can't sleep?" He asked.

"Yeah....I'm scared that I'm gonna see the Boogieman again....and I was wondering if I could sleep in your bed, but I know you're trying to sleep and...."

"Lily," he interjected, "If you want to sleep in my bed, you're more than welcome to and believe me, kid, you're not bothering me by asking."

Lily continues to avoid eye contact with him, feeling exhausted from being up so late.

"Look at me," he urges softly and her eyes meet his. He leans foward and places her large hands on her shoulders. "You can always come to me if you have any problems. You do know that, right?"

"Well....yeah...I mean I just thought-"

"Honey, you can talk to me about anything and I'm not going to get mad at you if that's what you're thinking. Don't be afraid to come to me if you need help, okay?"

She was quiet for a moment before muttering, "Okay....." 

"Hey, I'm serious. I understand that you've been going through a rough time lately and....I don't mind the company either."

This made Lily come to a sudden realization. She had been so caught up in her own grief and insecurities of her fears that she nearly forgot that her dad was struggling with the loss of his wife just as much as she was and he probably got lonely at times and needed some comfort too. 

"So if you want to sleep here, you can," he suggested, wanting to make sure that she felt comfortable about coming to him with any problem. 

The slightest hint of a smile appeared on her face that wasn't out of joy, but more from understanding. 

"Okay, dad," she says softly, sounding a bit more confident than she did previous.

Sebastian could still hear her sniffling and it broke his heart to know that she had been sobbing all alone in her room. He pulled her close to him and engulfed her in a hug which she immediately sank into as she let out a few tears onto his shoulder. They held each other for about a minute before Lily was the first to pull away as she made her way onto the bed. She made herself comfortable under the covers before her dad had lay back down.

The two didn't go to sleep right away because of Lily admitting that she had been thinking about how much she missed her mom prior to coming into his bedroom. Sebastian got into telling her stories about when he and Myra first met and how he had fallen in love with her. They even shared a few laughs from certain stories and the conversation progressed to random topics as a couple hours passed by. 

Eventually, they had both fallen asleep feeling grateful that they would always be there for each other.


	3. Unexpected Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Lily is playing hide and seek, she discovers a stray cat and a broken porch light bulb

(A few days later)

"Kidman!" Lily exclaims upon seeing her standing at her front doorstep.

Kidman laughs as Lily rushes over to her and greets her with a hug. She was at the house to babysit Lily since Sebastian was about to head to a job interview. He'd probably need Kidman to watch his daughter throughout the last month of summer vacation until Lily would start school. He also ensured that he would pay her for her help.

"I appreciate you coming here, Kid. Make sure she stays out of trouble for me, will ya?" He explains with a growing grin on his bearded face. 

"I'll be sure to," Kidman says with a light chuckle while still holding onto Lily's embrace. "Good luck on your interview, Sebastian."

"I'm counting on it," he says as he watches Lily pull away from Kidman. She seemed to be overwhelmed by the fact that Kidman was there that she nearly forgot her dad was leaving. "What? No hug for your dad?" He says jokingly.

As if his daughter came to a realization, she went over to him and made sure to give him a hug goodbye. Sebastian wraps his arms around her and gives her a peck on her temple. 

"Make sure you behave yourself, okay?" He whispers softly in her ear. Even though he knew she behaved pretty well, he wanted to make sure she knew not to give Kidman a hard time while he was gone.

"Okay," she mutters in response and they both pulled away saying their "I love you's," before Sebastian made his way out to the car. 

Lily wished him good luck as she waved to him while he pulled out of the driveway. Once he left, Kidman and Lily had decided to play hide and seek outside in the yard. 

"Want me to count first?" Kidman asked. 

"No," she instantly shakes her head, feeling a bit iffy about hiding right away since she had her own share of hide and seek with a particular someone. "I mean you can hide and I'll count first."

"Alright," Kidman agrees.

Soon after, Lily was leaning against a tree counting to thirty. She counted in a hushed voice in order to listen closely as to where Kidman was going. Either she had good hearing, or she simply was able to accurately pick up where Kidman's footsteps were going. She could hear the rustling sounds of her sandals moving across the grass and she tried to pinpoint specifically where they were going.

Once she had counted to thirty, Lily pulled her head back and opened her eyes. She looked around the yard and as expected, she didn't see Kidman anywhere. She did her best to remember exactly where the sound of her hider's footsteps went. She could have sworn she heard Kidman go toward the house, so she made her way over there. Once she got close enough, she looked around the bushes to see if Kidman was there.

"Hmmmm..." she hummed once she inspected the area and found that Kidman was nowhere in sight. 

She continued to look around the house, but she didn't spot Kidman anywhere which left her confused. She knew that she heard her go in the direction of the house, but maybe she misheard, but she was still determined to find her. She wasn't one to give up so easily. Suddenly, Lily's ears slightly perked up at the sound of a twig being snapped from a distance.

She spun her head around to see a glimpse of a figure zip behind the tree she was just at. 

Lily gasped once she discovered Kidman's trick. "Found you!" She shouted before dashing towards the tree. 

Lily heard a small chuckle before Kidman emerged from behind the tree.

"Alright you got me!" She admitted. Lily grinned proudly at her discovery. "Now it's your turn," she says before leaning against the tree and closing her eyes. "I'm gonna count to thirty and you better be ready."

As soon as Kidman started counting, Lily took a few slow steps back before darting towards the side of the house. She already had a good idea as to where she wanted to hide and that was behind the large air conditioning unit sitting on the ground. She was quick to cushion herself between the unit and a set of bushes sitting in the grass. 

She made sure to blend herself into her environment by moving parts of the bushes in front of her to make it seem like she wasn't hiding in the spot she was in. While waiting for Kidman to start finding her, she would occasionally peek her head out from where she was hiding to check and see if she was looking for her yet.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Lily heard Kidman call out. 

Upon seeing Kidman pull away from the tree, Lily was quick to pull her head back with an excited grin on her face. She made sure to sit still as she listened closely to Kidman's footsteps through the grass. She sounded like she wasn't headed towards where Lily was, so she had a shed of hope that she wouldn't find her. 

This feeling of anticipation and not wanting to be found reminded Lily of something or someone else that has been bothering her lately.

She shook her head trying to rid herself of those thoughts of the Boogeyman. It was just Kidman looking for her and it was a fun game. Nothing more.

"It's just Kidman," she repeated to herself as she felt herself becoming afraid. She took deep breaths just like what Kidman adviced her to do when she got anxious about something. 

As she tried to maintain herself, she began to hear footsteps coming a little closer to the area she was in. She felt her heart beat quicken, but she had to further remind herself that Kidman wasn't a twelve foot tall man hunting her down.

All the sudden, Lily hears the noise of the bushes slightly rustling on her right and she was quick to turn around to jump with a loud startled scream. She spotted a small shadow in the bushes and it took her a few seconds to process what she was seeing. The shadow had wide yellow eyes with short pointy ears sticking up. She was quickly relieved to find out that it was only a black cat.

"Mrooww..." the cat uttered out in a hushed tone. Its pupils were dilated and it was crouched down in a low stance. It looked like it had been a little startled by Lily's scream.

Lily just sat there staring at it all the while still breathing quickly from the surprise. The cat also stayed in its position while watching the child carefully. After a few seconds of their stare down, Lily couldn't help but feel bad for scaring the poor kitty. She really loved animals and she'd take any chance she'd get to befriend one. She saw the cat slowly move a paw foward and then another. It didn't look like it wanted to hurt Lily, but it was just taken aback by her outburst.

"It's....it's okay, kitty," she cautiously reached a hand out not to pet it, but just close enough to the cat's nose where it could adjust to her and feel safe.

The stray animal gently moved its head towards her fingers and sniffed them.

"Lily?!" Kidman's voice rang out from a distance causing the feline to shoot its head back while turning towards where the voice came from. 

It wasn't long before Kidman had found Lily hiding by the unit when she followed the direction of her scream. She was relieved to find Lily safe and sound, but she didn't seem to notice the cat at first until she heard it take a step back. Once she made eye contact with the animal, she let out a small gasp from the cat's cuteness. She always loved cats. 

The cat froze after making eye contact with her and it stood there for only a second before running off. 

"Ah, man," Kidman muttered before shifting her gaze back to Lily. "You okay? I heard you screaming," she asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah," she breathed out, "I just didn't know that cat was there."

"Have you seen that cat before?"

Lily shakes her head. "No, maybe its homeless."

"Hopefully not," she says with a slight frown before turning back to Lily. "So, you want to count again or take a break?"

Lily stumbled to her feet, "I think I'll take a break," she says while noticing the dirt stains on the back of her purple butterfly themed dress. 

Kidman smiles, "Alright, let's get you cleaned up."

While making their way to the front door, Lily noticed small shards of glass sitting on the ground, she looked up to find that the outdoor light had shattered. Kidman noticed it too.

"Looks like Sebastian needs a new light. Not sure how that broke though," she says while inspecting it for a bit. It didn't look like it fell, but rather it exploded. Kidman and Lily didn't pay too much attention to it and shrugged it off.

Afterwards, they went inside getting a good whiff of the cool air conditioning after spending all that time in the summer heat. They made themselves a plate of fruit, chips, and cheese while setting up a puzzle game. Solving a puzzle of any kind was Lily's favorite thing to do since she enjoyed going through the process of putting the pieces together. They spent the next few hours playing with Lily's dolls and watching more Frozen related films before Sebastian got back home later in the afternoon.

As he approached his house, he noticed the shattered lightbulb on his front porch. He was a little bewildered at first, but he figured the lightbulb wasn't designed well. He went inside and was pleased to see that Lily and Kidman were getting along. Once his daughter heard him come in, she along with Kidman turned to see him with a grin on his face. 

"How did it go?" Kidman asked with Lily peeking out from behind her.

"I got the job," he said. 

"That's great! Congrats," she says with a smile. She then turns to Lily and sighs. Lily already knew she had to leave. "Well, Lily, it's time for me to go."

Lily frowned lightly in disappointment. "But we were just about to find out what happened with the baker," she said while staring down at the dolls they were just playing with.

"We'll have to wait till next time," she said in a low and suspenseful tone.

This only made Lily want to play with her more. As Kidman got up, Lily clutched onto her hand. Kidman only chuckled in response.

"Can you stay just a few more minutes? Dad could join in on the story too," she says while extending a doll to her dad. "Here, dad take a doll!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Sebastian and Kidman both laughed. 

"As much as I'd love to stay," Kidman says while slinging her purse over her shoulder, "I have to get ready for a lunch date with Joseph," she immediately blushed once she realized that she had said 'date.' "Well not like a date date but-"

"You two are dating?" Lily asked with wide eyes.

"No," she tries to laugh it off, "I meant like a get together. You know as friends."

Lily grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, you two are 'getting together' alright."

Kidman was too focused on embarassing herself that she didn't fully process Sebastian's laughter in the background from Lily's comment.

"Alright, Lily," he says while chuckling. "Quit giving her a hard time."

"Yeah, listen to your dad," she said while ruffling through her hair.

Lily pouts before pulling Kidman in for a hug which she gladly returned.

"I'll be back sometime soon this week, okay?"

She hummed in disapproval, but then she remembered that she could see Kidman more often than before. "Okay....."

Pulling from their embrace, Kidman said her goodbyes to Sebastian before leaving. Lily had decided to set the dolls aside before coming up with another game to play.

"Dad, can we play cops and robbers?" She asked him remembering the old tag game they used to play. "You could be the robber and I'll be the cop!" 

He smiles warmly.

"Sure, just give me one second," he says while setting his paperwork aside. 

While Lily was waiting for her dad to get situated, she couldn't help but feel that same strange presence again in her head. It wasn't overwhelming, but rather a faint sense in the back of her mind of something there, but she couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from. She shrugged it off once she and her dad had started playing outside.

After hours of running around the yard playing their game, it was starting to get dark and Sebastian was about wore out. He was shocked that Lily was still full of energy even after running around for so long. It was only after they settled themselves back into the house and ate some dinner that Lily was starting to feel tired. A short while later, they were both sitting on the couch watching some television.

Lily yawned quietly before leaning sideways and resting her head against her dad's shoulder. She was getting drowsy and she didn't even think about the Boogeyman at that moment. All she was focused on was getting to sleep. 

Sebastian gazed down at her and he smiled at her sleepy state. He stretched out his arm and snuggled it around Lily. Lily with her eyelids half-closed, makes herself comfortable by wrapping her arms around him and snuggling her head into his chest as if he were a giant pillow. 

Before she drifted off to sleep, she noticed a small tan colored squared patch sticking out from underneath his shirt. She didn't bother questioning it or minding it. Her mind was becoming cloudy and her already drooping eyes had soon fell shut. She sighed and drifted off to sleep before she even realized it, knowing that she was safe, secure, and warm. 

But little did she know that in her dreaming slumber, she would meet someone new.


	4. A Potential Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily is having another one of her nightmares. She runs into a mysterious young girl who has the ability to move things with her mind. Little does she know that this girl would change her perspective on things.

One moment, Lily was in her dad's arms, but now she was standing in an empty road. She looked down to find that she was still wearing her red t-shirt that she fell asleep in. She looked around. The sky was dark with the exception of multiple twinkling stars beaming, but there was no moon in sight. There were buildings, shops, and cars parked beside the sidewalk, but there was no form of life anywhere. It was only when she noticed the big sign sitting in the grass which read 'Union' that she realized she was in her dream world. 

This world used to have so many friendly people who would sometimes greet her while she was here. They would often attend to their business with their families and jobs. She would even interact with her mother here all the time, but now it just felt so isolated. She wasn't sure what happened to everyone, but now the place just reminded her of a ghost town. She began to walk around, knowing her way around this place, and she was searching for some place to go. She wasn't sure why she was even here. 

Unless it had something to do with.....

Just then she heard a large footstep off to the distance. She didn't need to turn around. She already knew who it was and she didn't have much time to waste before he would begin searching for her. She glanced around the town for a building she could hide in. As she started sprinting across the hard pavement, she dared to take a glance behind her and once she did, she caught a glimpse of the Boogeyman's shadow still a bit far away from where she was, but he seemed to be scanning around the area in front of his grand theatre for her.

He seemed to have sensed her and she saw his head whip over to her direction, his blue left eye beaming in the darkness. She needed to find somewhere to hide fast. She spotted a warehouse and she knew there were a lot of hiding places in there, but then she recalled what happened last time. He'd probably suspect that she would hide in there again, so she went for the large hotel across the street. She made it there as fast as she could, her heart feeling like it was going to pump out of her chest as she heard the Boogeyman approaching the street that she was just on.

Lily quickly went inside the hotel and she searched the building for any good hiding spots. She heard him getting closer to the main entrance doors and she was running out of time. She had to resort to hiding underneath the front desk. As she positioned herself under it, she heard him burst through the doors. 

"I know you're here," his chilling accent rang throughout the interior of the building.

Lily was doing her best to stay quiet by clasping her hand onto her mouth. The ground rumbled in sync with each of his footsteps and she tries to control her fear by taking deep breaths through her nose, but they didn't seem to help as the breaths came off shaky. She didn't know exactly which part of the room he was searching, but she did, however, notice from under the desk that the lights hovering around the room began to flicker. She could have sworn that each flicker matched her racing nervous heartbeat. 

The Boogeyman seemed to take notice of this as he inched closer towards the desk. Lily's breathing came to a full stop once she caught a glimpse of his shadow hovering over the desk. She cowered down in hopes that she would wake up soon. As she waited for the inevitable, the tall man didn't move or say anything while standing there, leaving Lily in suspense as to what he would do. 

This only lasted for about ten seconds which to Lily felt like a whole minute, before the desk was abruptly lifted. The darkness that had been concealing her was removed and replaced with bright flashing lights on the ceiling. 

"I think you just gave yourself away, dear," the man says with a cocky smirk on his face. He was holding his camera in one hand and a spiky looking knife in the other. Lily couldn't help but feel intimidated by his tall stature. "Now, hold still."

Lily was in that frozen state of fear again, not knowing if she should run somewhere else or stay put. She screamed as the man's large hand reached to grab her and she clenched her eyes shut in a flinching way. But just when she thought he was going to grab her, she suddenly hears a loud crash which sounded like hundreds of pieces of glass shattering. 

She peeked one eye open to find that the large chandelier which had been hovering over him had dropped and smashed onto his head.

"GAHHH!!" He cried out while dropping his blade and grasping his head with both of his hands. 

Lily watched him as he continued to grumble in pain. She took this opportunity to map out her exit. She would go for the entrance doors if it weren't for him blocking the way. She glanced to her left and found a set of stairs. She took off up the stairs climbing them as fast as possible. Normally it wouldn't take her this long to get up some stairs, but under this circumstance, it felt like forever. 

Eventually, she reached the last step in hopes that she would find any sort of exit, but she was only met with a narrow hallway with a dead end. She turned to find the Boogeyman at the very bottom of the steps and he was glaring at her menacingly. 

"You are going to pay for that!" His voice cracked as teleports midway up the stairs.

"No..." Lily mutters as she started to panic yet again.

She took off toward the hallway, knowing that there was a wall at the end of it, but she needed get somewhere, anywhere away from this man. She saw him appear at the end of the hallway and she began to take a few steps back.

"I've got you now," he says and teleports even closer to her.

She tries to step back, but loses balance and falls on her bottom. She started to lose hope, knowing she didn't have anything to defend herself with. She wished she would have been brave enough to head to the door, or that another inanimate object would strike him, but luck wasn't with her. She kept trying to tell herself this man wasn't real and she was pinching herself to wake up, but she didn't wake up and the man was still advancing towards her. 

Just when Lily had lost hope, she suddenly started to notice large paintings and pictures on canvases coming off the walls in the hallway. As if the they had a mind of their own, the pictures move in front of the man and they had positioned themselves as a barrier between him and Lily. 

What was this? Was he doing this or...?

Lily spots a brunette girl in a defensive stance in front of her who looked to be no older than she was. Lily couldn't quite make out her face, but by the way her arms were sticking out and her palms pressed outward shakily, she looked like she was struggling to control something. Becoming confused, Lily looked up at the picture barrier and then back at the girl only to realize that she was the one controlling them. 

Lily didn't know who this girl was, or what she should do next. The tall man groaned before blasting the pictures easily out of the way with a swing of his arm which caused the mystery girl to tumble backwards. Lily could only watch as the girl stumbled back to her feet before making her way over to Lily. 

"You have to trust me," her light yet urgent voice spoke out and the girl grabs Lily's wrist much to her already panicked state. 

Before Lily could react, she along with the girl were transported to a different part of the hallway and they ended up behind the Boogeyman.

"Come on!" The girl says, exhaustion present in her voice, and she tugs on Lily's arm and starts running downstairs. 

Lily was beyond confused and scared at this point. Who was this girl? How did she teleport like he did? Was she trying to help Lily? Endanger her? She didn't know and she didn't have time to think as she tried her best to keep up with the girl's movements. 

The girl kept tugging Lily with her until she stopped in the middle of the empty road. Lily watched the girl glance around frantically before spotting a manhole cover in the pavement. She stuck her arms out once more towards the cover and it was lifted in the air without her even touching it making Lily wonder how this girl was even doing all this. The cover was tossed to the side and they both looked down the hole and saw a ladder.

"This way," the girl instructed while positioning herself on the ladder.

Lily was hesitant to go down there with her, but to the best of her knowledge, the girl was trying to help her and it was either her, or the Boogeyman. That wasn't a tough choice to make. 

She cautiously made her way to the hole and saw that the girl was climbing down. Upon catching the camera man exiting the hotel and scanning the area for her, Lily wasted no time joining the young brunette girl on the ladder. 

"It's going to get dark," the girl warned before pulling the the cover back on top of the hole and they were shrouded in darkness.

Lily started to get nervous from how pitch black it was, but it wasn't a second later before a bright hue of light filled the room. She looked down to where the source of the light was coming from and saw that the girl was holding a flashlight towards her. Lily squinted from the sudden beam of light.

"It's going to be okay," the girl tries to reassure her while climbing down the ladder. "Just don't think of him and he won't find us."

Lily furrowed her brows. "What do you mean don't think of him?" She shook her head. "I don't understand. Who are you? Who is he?"

"I'll explain everything once we get down here. Just think of stuff that makes you happy right now. He is your monster and he can sense when you're afraid."

Lily was even more bewildered. What did she mean that he was her monster? 

"I know you have questions, but just focus on staying calm," she says as she reaches the very bottom of the ladder. 

She and Lily both dropped from the ladder and they were now in a sewer. They could hear the Boogeyman's loud booming footsteps from above and Lily began to worry. 

"I don't think he can get down here, but I can't be too certain," the girl said. She saw that Lily was staring upward listening for the man's footsteps with an anxious look on her face. 

"Hey," she attempts to grab her attention and Lily turns to her, "it's gonna be okay. How about I start off with telling you who I am."

At this moment, Lily took the time to study her. She looked to be around ten years old and she had hazel brown eyes along with straight dark brown hair that flowed down slightly past her shoulders. The girl had fair skin and she was wearing a dark red long sleeved buttoned up shirt with dark pants and she was barefoot. The outfit she was wearing looked familiar to Lily as if she had seen it or maybe worn it before, however, she wasn't certain.

Lily spotted a name tag pinned on the top right of her shirt with three little stars on it, but the letters were too small for her to read. She squints and tries to read it and it said-

"Alice," the girl spoke. "My name is Alice Smith and....I'm here to help you."

Lily could only figure that she meant to help her with getting rid of the Boogeyman. Still she was confused. Was this girl just another imaginary person in her dreams? 

"And...." she continues, "I am what you would call....a spirit, or a ghost, but I don't wanna scare you with that word, so we'll just stick with spirit."

Lily furrowed her brows in confusion. Was she actually real? 

"What do you mean by spirit?" Lily asked as she was trying to process the situation. 

Alice sighs and tries to find the right words to start off with.

"Lily....you have....special kinds of dreams. They reflect your well-being and...." she pauses, "Basically I am a spirit that was sent to you in order to help you conquer your fears."

Lily blinked rapidly becoming even more puzzled by the minute. Did she hear her correctly?

"I know it sounds crazy, but the things that you just saw me doing, you can do them too. As.....a spirit...I am supposed to guide you on how to use these powers-"

"Wait, wait," Lily interrupted her, "I.....I have super...powers...?" She says with a bit of unease, but she was also curious to know more.

"Well technically I'm the one with powers and I provide them to you, but...yeah. Super powers. We are both connected."

"I don't understand. What do you mean by connected?" Lily's light voice squeaked out.

Alice sighs knowing this wouldn't be easy to explain. 

"Lily, your dream state, which is where you are now, is the only way for you to fully see me. You see....." she cradles her hands together out of a nervous habit. "I can communicate with you in real life too."

Upon seeing Lily's wide eyed dumbfounded expression, Alice quickly interjected, "But please keep in mind that I'm not here to hurt you-"

"Wait...." Lily says to herself when she came to a sudden realization.

As she was listening to Alice talk, she knew her voice sounded somewhat familiar. 

And then that's when she remembered.

When Lily was talking to Kidman that day she and Joseph had come by the house, she thought it had been Kidman who had said the word, "Right." She could also recall all the times she felt a presence over her. 

And thats when it clicked.

"You're..." Lily pointed at her, her arm slightly shaking, "You're the one I've been hearing." She wasn't sure if she should be scared or somehow relaxed knowing this girl has come to help her, but still she didn't just trust anyone, so she remained cautious.

Alice opened her mouth but didn't say anything at first. She was afraid she'd scare Lily and that was the last thing she wanted for her own sake.

"Yes," she mentally winced, "but, I'm here to help you. Your dreams are getting out of control and-"

"Wait, how are you in my head? What's....what's going on?!" She exclaimed frantically. She's a spirit? Sent by who? Why was she having so many crazy dreams lately? 

"Okay, okay," Alice spoke quickly. "Let me start from the beginning. I..." she places her hand on her chest, "am a spirit that was sent to help you with these bizarre dreams you've been having these last few weeks. They have been getting out of control and these powers are supposed to give you a sense of confidence in order for you to stand up to creatures such as the Boogeyman."

Lily was a bit taken aback, but being the ten year old child that she was, she believed what the young girl in front of her was saying because of everything she has been experiencing. She was itching to ask more questions, but Alice was quick to talk over her before she could get a sentence out.

"As for how I'm in your head, ghosts have many abilities that would be considered....well out of this world. When I was led to you, I became part of your mind which caused us to be connected. I'm meant to serve as a guide in order for you to properly use your powers when you should and shouldn't."

"So....." Lily was still trying to process everything, "you're here to help me?"

"Yes, that's my job," Alice says while trying to give her most convincing smile.

"I don't understand. Why is the Boogeyman after me? Why does he want a picture of me so badly?"

"The Boogeyman is a part of a hidden side of your memories and inner fears. He may be someone you made up, or he could be based on something you saw in real life. That's what we're here to find out, but you first have to get rid of your fear of him and I don't expect you to do that right away. We'll go through it one step at a time."

As Lily was trying to grasp every bit of information the ghost girl was telling her, she started to notice little bits of light surrounding her. She examined herself and found several tiny bright dots similar to stars emerging from her body as they were swimming upward.

"What's happening?" Lily says, feeling slightly panicked.

"You're going to wake up soon," Alice explains with a sense of urgency in her voice. "Listen to me carefully, I'm going to communicate with you in the real world and you'll hear me in your head...so to speak. Try not to panic when you hear me."

"Wait, why do you-"

"There's no more time for questions here. I'll explain more when you wake up," she spoke as quick as possible. "I'm also aware that you're with your dad right now. I know that because when I contact you in the real world, I can see everything you can."

Lily was a bit spooked by this and Alice was quick to catch on to it.

"Just keep in mind that I'm here to help you. To protect you," she chose her words carefully. "When you wake up, go straight to your room and I'll explain the rest," she noticed that more beads of light were beginning to gather around Lily and she quickly hurried along. "Don't wake up your dad or say anything to him for that matter. Just go straight to your bedroom."

Normally, Lily would have disliked this idea and she would have told her dad about all of this right away, but yet again this girl had saved her from the Boogeyman and she hasn't done anything to harm her. The girl actually came off as timid to Lily. Certainly what all Alice had to say to her had to be important since Lily has been having several bizarre dreams for a while now.

She didn't make a decision to tell her dad or not right away since she was too focused on the increasing amount of the tiny white floating dots now clouding her vision of Alice. She could faintly hear her say, "Remember what I said."

Lily jolted awake with a sharp inhale of breath, her eyes only taking a second to process that she was sitting on the couch in the living room. She noticed that her dad's bulky arm was still lazily draped around her. She gazed up at him and saw that he was still sleeping. His head was tilted back onto the couch and his body was relaxed in a reclined position. 

She watched him for a moment, contemplating if she should wake him up, but thats when she felt that prescence again and thats when she knew that the girl was there. So she was real. Lily shouldn't have been as surprised as she was, but she couldn't help but be shocked.

"It was all real?" She repeated the thought to herself while trying to process it.

Alice must have heard her thought because a second later, Lily heard her voice come through.

"Lily...." she spoke quietly and carefully. Her voice, which sounded like it was coming from all around her head, caused Lily to jump in surprise and her sudden movement didn't seem to phase her dad who was still sound asleep. 

Lily's heart was beating rapidly as she felt a bit nervous of the whole idea that this girl was somehow connected to her mind. Still, she froze in place anticipating Alice's next words just to be absolutely sure that she was real.

"You can hear me. Good," she says as Lily tries to adjust to her voice. Lily even found herself glancing around as to find out where exactly Alice's voice was coming from. 

Lily was about to open her mouth and speak, but Alice was quick to stop her.

"Don't say anything," she says sounding rushed, "I mean...you don't have to say anything out loud. I can hear your thoughts. As I said before, just go straight to your room and we'll continue our conversation."

As she began to adjust to her voice, Lily peeked up at her dad with a worried look.

"But what about-"

"Trust me, Lily. It's better that you don't say anything to him and I'll explain why. Just let him rest."

Lily continued to stare up at his sleeping stature, feeling bad about keeping this from him. She and her dad were always open with each other about nearly everything. She hardly knew this girl and to have her instruct Lily right off the bat to not tell her father about her whole escapade while sleeping was mind boggling, but deep down, Lily knew this whole super power thing had to be serious judging by the anxious tone in Alice's voice.

Despite her uncertainty of this whole situation, she was willing to give Alice the benefit of the doubt. Lily was always one for believing in magical beings and maybe this was a good thing for her. Regardless, she was willing to hear her out. 

Lily watched her dad for a moment to make sure he was still sleeping and hadn't noticed her shift under him. Slowly, she shifted herself foward, being careful not to move his arm. As she quietly attempted to get off the couch, she suddenly heard him shift causing her to freeze in place. She tilted her head sideways to see if her dad had woken up, but she was relieved to find out that his eyes were still clamped shut and his head was angled more toward the left.

After viewing him again, that same small twinge of guilt had crept up on her again, but she tries to brush the feeling off as she hopped off the couch and quietly tiptoed over to her bedroom. As she was making her way upstairs she couldn't help but get anxious about the sort of thing she was getting into. She knew that Alice was a spirit, but who exactly sent her? Was it a God of some sort? Was there something wrong with Lily?

"You're going to be okay," Alice's soft voice startled Lily once more. 

Yeah. This was definitely something she had to adjust to.

"Is...." she paused, "Is there something wrong with me?" She spoke aloud as she walked a bit slower while heading towards her bedroom door.

"No," Alice reassured her. "This just means that you're special."

"Special how?" Lily asked as she made her way into her bedroom.

"As I said before, your dreams reflect your well-being, which means that this Boogeyman has been affecting your everyday life. Has he not?"

"Well he has, but.....wait you said the Boogeyman is based on my fears? What did you mean by that?"

"Well let me put it this way, he represents your fear as a whole. When you have dreams, what you see says a lot about what you have been feeling and what has been going on in your daily life. It seems like you have been facing a lot of rough things lately haven't you?"

Lily stopped, now realizing that she had just been pacing around the room. She frowned as a bitter, deep familiar pain dwelled in her heart. She knew exactly what Alice meant.

"I've also noticed that you've been hard on yourself," she says her voice sounding softer. "You seem to think that you bother people you love when it comes to your problems and you feel like you need to be brave like your dad, or otherwise you'll fail at everything."

Lily stayed silent knowing that everything Alice was saying was true. 

"A young girl such as yourself shouldn't be worrying about things like that, but here you are. That's why these powers were gifted to you. The Boogeyman also represents these bad thoughts of yours and he'll do everything in his power to bring you down. We can't let that happen."

Lily was quiet while processing everything she said.

"So....the powers will help get rid of him?" She asked, her voice sounding a little lighter than prior.

"Well....." she paused, "They're meant to hold him off temporarily, but your fears and insecurities are what is stopping you from fully getting rid of him. You have to learn to let them go, but I know for a fact that you aren't able to do that at the moment. That's why I'm here to guide you." 

"So.....," she says not really processing the rest of what she had just said. "These powers, what are they? How do I use them?"

"We'll get into that, but you're not supposed to use them here."

She blinked. "Here? You mean like-," she points down to the floor, "here?"

"Yes, you have these powers in real life, but-"

"Oh no. I'm....I'm not ready to be a superhero!" She spoke a bit too loudly in sudden panic.

"Quiet down," Alice spoke in a harsh whisper. "And no, this is not about turning you into a superhero. Please don't even consider doing that."

Upon hearing this, Lily let out a breath of relief.

"These powers....let's just say they're too dangerous for the real world."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked with furrowed brows.

Alice sighs, "Lily, what I'm about to tell you is very serious and you can't tell anyone about me or these powers and I mean anyone. Not even your dad."

"But why not?" Lily's voice sounded almost disappointed.

"Lily, there's a lot of things you can do without realizing it. When you dream, you can use these powers as much as you want, but when you wake up and you're in the real world, you're capable of hurting other people, especially the ones you love."

"But.....I would never want to hurt anyone," Lily said.

"I know you wouldn't, but you could lose control of these powers and end up hurting someone if you're not careful. These powers are only meant to be used for defending yourself against monsters such as the Boogeyman in your dreams. Trust me, Lily, it's for the best."

Lily grew confused. "Well then why do I even have powers in the real world? Why not only when I dream?"

"Because we are both connected, so you can't help but have these powers in the real world, but it's very important that you DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT tell anyone about these powers or let anyone see them. Believe me when I tell you that you are protecting your dad by keeping this a secret."

Now Lily was conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to race downstairs, rapidly shake her dad to wake him up, and ramble on and on about how she had just met her new ghost friend who gave her superpowers. On the other hand, however, she didn't want to end up accidently harming him, Kidman, or anyone for that matter.

"You don't need to stress either. You can still carry on normally as you are now," she explains, her voice starting to sound agitated. "You can still play and have all the fun you want. The only difference is that it will be different when you go to sleep now. These powers are to help you feel better and you have to promise that this stays between us. Keeping this a secret is the only way to protect everyone you care about."

Lily was silent while fiddling with her fingers out of nervous habit. Would she really go through with keeping such a huge secret from her dad? She has witnessed what the Boogeyman can do and it seemed like Alice was capable of doing similar things to him. The way Alice didn't even need to touch an object just to pick it up and the fact that Lily could do the same was a little unsettling. 

But yet again, her dad has always been understanding and supportive when it came to any problem that she was dealing with. It would be wrong for her to keep such a secret from him since they both trusted each other.

"Lily," Alice listened to her thoughts, "I know this sounds wrong to keep from your dad, but do you really want anyone to get hurt?"

"No, but-"

"Do you also want people to be afraid of you because you hurt them, even if you didn't mean to?"

Lily's rushing thoughts had stopped dead in their tracks upon her hearing what Alice had just said. She never thought about it that way. Thinking back to how terrified she was of the Boogeyman and the extent of his powers made her realize just how scared everybody else could possibly be of her. Just imagining the possible scenario of her dad's horrified face when witnessing Lily doing such bizzare acts made her heartbeat quicken.

"I.......well....no..." she trailed off.

"Then you can't involve your dad or anyone with this problem. Thats what I'm here for, to guide you and support you. So it is extremely important that you keep this a secret, okay?"

Lily stayed silent for a moment as she gulped and took a deep breath. 

"Okay," she sighs with clenched fists. "I....I won't say anything."

"It's for the best, Lily," she said once more. "You're doing the right thing."

Lily sighed while reassuring herself that this was the best thing to do.

"So, that stuff you did with your hands, how do I do that?"

"As I said before, I will show you that when you go back to your dream session."

"But why not right now?" Lily proposed. "Won't the Boogeyman show up when you are trying to show me?"

"Well just don't think of him."

"I probably will think of him when I go back to sleep and besides my dad is sleeping," she spoke as she became eager to see what she could do. Despite these powers being potentially dangerous, as long as nobody witnessed her using them then she was fine.

Alice was silent for a moment before releasing a sigh. 

"Close the door," she instructed. "Just keep in mind that this isn't something to do often."

"I know," Lily said as she hurried over to the door and shut it.

"Okay," Alice scanned the room for any potential objects that Lily could safely lift before spotting her mother's doll sitting on top of her dresser. "You see your doll up there?"

Lily glanced around the room for a second before remembering where she had placed her doll. Once she saw it, Lily nodded. 

"Alright, stand directly in front of the dresser," she said and Lily did what she said without hesitation. "Now stick your hand out in front of you as if you're trying to reach for something."

Lily stretched her petite right arm out towards the doll making sure to mimic what Alice had done in her dream by keeping her distance.

"Okay, now try your best to focus on that doll. Think about it lifting in the air and make sure to directly focus on nothing else in the room but that doll."

With a sense of determination, Lily followed through with what Alice said and she began to have a staredown with the doll all the while making sure to keep her hand positioned. She imagined the toy magically floating in the air and she made sure she wanted it to float in the air.

And just like that, the doll slowly but surely shook as it began to lift itself and lightly wobble in the air. Taken by shock and surprise, Lily gasped as she quickly retreated her hand back. 

Did she really just do that?

"Woah..." she muttered while viewing the doll that was now plopped sideways on top of the dresser. She then stuck out her hand and with much more ease this time, she manipulated the doll into floating in the air once more. She even experimented a little bit by shifting her arm left to right and the doll followed in sync while dangling in midair.

This made Alice become anxious and regretful about the decision to allow Lily to discover one of her powers in the real world. 

"Okay, that's enoug-"

"Wait," Lily lets go of her grip on the doll allowing it to fall back into place again before asking, "Can I move big objects too?"

Before Alice could even answer that question, Lily aimed her hand towards the dresser without really thinking of what she was doing, and without hesitation, the dresser was quick to lift itself up in the air not too far from the ground. The wooden piece of furniture began to rattle as Lily was still trying to process the fact that she indeed was the one causing it to float like this.

"Lily, wait!" Alice cried out. Her voice startled the young girl to the point where she abruptly let go of the dresser causing it to fall with a loud thud. 

Lily stared down at the palm of her hand with complete shock and amazement, but it was short lived as she jumped at the sound of another loud noise. She looked back up in front of her and noticed that her lamp had just tipped over and fell to the floor as a result of the dresser crashing downwards.

Unbeknownst to Lily, Alice was mentally wincing at the booming sounds the two objects made. There was no doubt in her mind that her dad would wake up from the commotion coming from upstairs and just about thirty seconds later, her prediction came true.

"Lily?" They both hear his distant tired voice from downstairs which causes them both to panic.

"Ummm...ummmm what do I say?" Lily whispered frantically while practically flapping her arms around.

As much as Alice was trying to control her now heavy breathing, she knew she had to remain calm as much as she could in this situation since she was the one in charge. If she would panic then Lily would also panic even more than she already was right now.

So she came up with the best excuse to give Lily.

"Just tell him that you were reaching for something and the lamp fell."

Just then Lily could hear him approaching the stairs, or she could only guess thats where his footsteps were headed considering that she could pick up on many sounds that she never knew she could reach. She wasn't sure how her hearing became so accurate, unless this was another one of her powers. She'd have to ask Alice about that later.

Lily didn't have much time to think as her heart began to pound rapidly, the rhythm matching her dad going up each step. Alice remained silent since she didn't want to risk Lily blurting something out loud that her dad could hear. She only hoped that Lily would follow through. 

Lily remained glued to the spot she was standing in as she watched the door knob turn clockwise. Her door was swung open with a slight creaking sound and she was met face-to-face with her dad. 

Small pieces of his raven black hair were dangling across his forehead and his wrinkled eyes were practically squinting while trying to adjust to the sunlight beaming through the window. Once his tired eyes encountered his daughter's baby blue ones, she was frozen, gazing up at him like a deer caught in headlights.

"Are you okay?" He asked out of concern, his voice sounding hoarse from just waking up. His ears didn't manage to pick up the full extent of the loud noise, but his mind could register it just enough to know that he heard at least one of the noises.

Lily continued to stare up at him without a word leaving her mouth. She was still trying to maintain her rapid breathing and she was back and forth on whether she should tell him that she had literally just used her mind to lift her own dresser, but she still kept in mind the potential danger he could be in if she did so. 

Alice grew unsettled by Lily's lack of words and her opposing thoughts. Her stomach began to turn from her festering anxiety and she prayed to whatever God there was to not allow Lily to tell her dad about her powers. She knew all too well what would happen if she did.

Sebastian was quick to notice her purple butterfly themed lamp resting on the floor which made him all the more curious.

"I was, trying to get my doll off of there," she points towards the top of the dresser while attempting to keep her composure, "and I accidently knocked over my lamp with my arm."

He glances back and forth between Lily and her fallen lamp before letting out a relieved sigh. He deeply chuckles, "I just can't leave you alone, can I?" 

As Lily was letting out a hidden breath of relief, Alice released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

Lily stayed in place, trying to appear as calm as possible while her dad kneeled down to inspect the fallen object.

"Luckily it's not broken," he notes while observing the neatly shaped lightbulb. "Still sounded pretty loud though." 

Lily stayed quiet for a few seconds before asking cautiously, "Did the noise scare you?" Her question causes Alice's anxiety to spike again, but regardless, Lily needed to know. She needed to know how her dad would feel about such powers his daughter possessed. 

Sebastian turns towards her upon hearing her question, his eyes still a little fizzy as he attempts to study her. 

"Kinda," he says. He could admit that the noise did catch him off guard, especially if a small lamp was capable of producing such a harsh sound, yet again, he was in the process of fully waking up, so he didn't pay too much attention to the details. He was just happy that his daughter wasn't hurt.

His response caused Lily's spirits to spiral downward. All of her hopes of informing him about her ghost friend and new found powers went out the window at that very instant. She watched him intently as he stood back up and yawned.

"How long have you been up?" He questioned her as he stretched his arms out to get his blood flowing. "I didn't hear you leave."

Lily twiddles her fingers together, "I just got up," she answers while trying to sound like her normal self.

"Alright," he says, not seeming to have any idea that Lily had done something suspicious. "I was thinking we could go out for breakfast in an hour or two. Sound good?"

Lily only nods, still feeling a little disappointed.

"Okay," he grabs Lily's doll from the dresser and hands it to her. She takes it and cuddles it in her arms. "You coming back downstairs, or do you need me to watch out for you?" He says jokingly with another chuckle.

Lily tries to give him her sweetest smile knowing that what he said was a harmless joke. 

"I'll be fine up here," she says with a nervous laugh. 

There was a slight edge to her voice, which Sebastian noted as he listened to her. He would have thought something was wrong, but yet again she has been going through a lot and he didn't want to push it. She also could have just been startled by knocking over her lamp. Regardless, he'd give her some time alone. 

"Okay," he smiles warmly, his partially wrinkled eyes beaming down at her. He ruffles his hand briefly through her dark hair as he always did before walking out of her room.

Lily watches him closely by peaking her head out from the door as he makes his way back downstairs. Once the coast was clear, her tense shoulders sink and she relaxes herself. Alice, who was on the edge of her seat, manages to release the tension building within her, but she was still a little shaken up.

"You can't do that again," Alice spoke, her voice sounding a little shaky, but she manages to contain it in order to sound mostly clear.

"I know," Lily says in a hushed voice. After seeing her dad visibly caught off guard, she now understood the importance of keeping the powers a secret. The last thing she would want is for her own father to be afraid of her. 

Lily couldn't help but gaze down at her hands once more, still in awe of what she could do.

"I can't believe I did that," she breathed out.

"It's shocking, I know, but you have to wait until you fall asleep again in order to use them. Got it?" Alice attempts to speak with ease, but she was still on edge. 

"Yeah," Lily trails off when she suddenly felt the need to go to the bathroom. "Um....Alice? I....I need to go to the bathroom," she spoke awkwardly.

"Oh," Alice said just realizing that she had forgotten to inform Lily of what would happen when she would need privacy. "I can phase in and out from your mind, which is how I can see everything you can, to your dream world where I can't see what you're doing. I can do it right before you go to the bathroom."

"What do you mean by phase? Are you in my brain or something?" Lily asked, getting weirded out by the idea that that could be a possibility.

"Well not exactly. I can just see everything from your point of view and what I mean by phasing is," she paused trying to find the right words to properly explain this to Lily. "You know how I can teleport, right? It's like that, but just going in and out of your dream state. I can still hear you when you speak from there, so you can let me know when you are done."

"Ohhh, okay," she says, now understanding what she meant. 

"If I leave, you know not to use your powers right?" 

"Yeah," she said as she began to hop both of her legs frantically in desperate need to rush to the restroom. 

"Okay," Alice would have chuckled in this situation if it wasn't for the risk she was taking by leaving Lily alone. "I'm going to leave now."

"Alright," Lily spoke while getting a bit impatient.

It took a few seconds, but Lily started to feel a weight lifted from her head. Her mind was now clear and she no longer felt like anything was hovering over her. Now she suddenly felt like she was out in the open. 

As she was trying to adjust to Alice's prescence being lifted and how alone she felt at the moment, she made her way downstairs toward the bathroom. She was practically walking around on eggshells as she attempts to casually walk by her dad, who was on the phone with someone as he sat on the couch. He didn't seem to notice her walk by, which Lily was grateful for since her mind was spiraling out of control at the moment.

Once she got done, she made sure to retreat back to her room before signaling Alice to come back out. Much to her surprise, it only took half a second for Alice to return and that same familiar prescence surrounded Lily once more. Lily's eyes widened by how quick she came back.

"Woah," she was caught off guard.

"It probably feels weird, but you'll get used to it," Alice tells her. 

Lily wondered what Alice was doing back in her dream world until she suddenly gasped upon realizing who was lurking around there.

"Was...He after you?" 

"No," she answered quickly. "He is not after me, so he doesn't show up when it's just me around there. This also means that I can't hurt him, even with my powers. Only you can."

Lily felt a little disappointed, but she understood why since this man was created by her mind. Still, she wondered why her fears and insecurities would cause this specific man to show up in her nightmares. Who was he? Lily couldn't recall ever seeing this man in real life, but if he was just made up, then how did she dream up such a thing? 

It was too much to think about and she should probably take her supernatural companion's advice by taking one step at a time when resolving her internal issues. 

Throughout the day, Lily made sure to remain as composed and natural as possible around her dad. Afterall, it wasn't everyday that she would encounter a ghost girl in her dreams and then be granted with superpowers, so naturally she was still trying to adjust to everything. 

Regardless, this was something she had to get used to.


End file.
